Dear !*TITLE*! !*LASTNAME*!,
Time is running and we are already in September...
An important event in the Finnish -Japanese relations is the visit of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Helsinki and the Asem Summit this week. As Koizumi is stepping down in a couple of weeks time, this most likely will be his last visit overseas as Prime Minister, and thus for sure get a lot of media attention at least in Japan.
Let's hope the media attention would also "spill over" to some positive reporting about Finland in Japan.

Report from Club Evening at Juniper in Grand Hyatt Tokyo

Meeting old and new friends after the summer break
The first FCCJ event after the summer break was a Club Evening at Juniper Cafe & Bar in Roppongi Hills.
Attended by 40 persons, half Japanese, 45% Finns, a Dane and a Scotsman, members and guests, including three visiting Finns, made a good mixture for networking in a relaxed atmosphere with good food and drinks. Only time was the limit, and perhaps we have to extend the two hours allocated next time!
To find out more about the event, click link at right!

At our next luncheon meeting on Friday 22 September our speaker will be Mr. Timo Varhama, President of UPM-
Kymmene Japan KK.
Mr. Varhama will talk about "Global Paper Industry - Recent Trends and Phenomena", a timely theme now also in Japan will all the heated discussions on take-over and mergers.
Details:

Date & Time:

Friday, 22 September 12:00-14:00

Place:

Capitol Tokyu Hotel, Nara Room (B2F)

Cost:

7,000 yen for members, non-members 8,000 yen (collected at the door)

Registration:

by Wednesday 20 September

Profile of Timo Varhama

Timo Varhama was born in 1948 and graduated from Helsinki School of Economics in 1971.
Mr. Varhama has spent most of his long career in the paper industry. First with Finnpap, which he joined in 1972 in Finland, Australia, Norway, Japan, Australia and again in Japan, where he became President of Nippon Finnpap K.K. in 1997. He was instrumental in transforming the joint-venture Nippon Finnpap to UPM-Kymmene Japan KK in 2004, and has served as its President to date.
Mr. Varhama has also played an important role in the formation and development of the FCCJ and served on its board from the founding of the Chamber in 1999 to 2004. He was President 2002-2004, and serves now on the Board of Trustees.

Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will attend an Asia-Europe summit this week in Finland in what will likely be his last trip overseas before stepping down, the government said.
'At the summit meeting, leaders plan to exchange opinions on how Asia and Europe should handle global issues together,' said his government's chief spokesman Shinzo Abe, the front-runner to succeed Koizumi.
Koizumi plans to hold talks with his Finnish counterpart Matti Vanhanen and pay a courtesy call on President Tarja Halonen before the summit begins on September 7.

Having a bad day?
Having a bad day? Just remember, it could be worse...
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.
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Still think you are having a bad day?
A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy
plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
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What?! STILL having a bad day??
Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits. There now, feeling better?

ABOUT THIS BULLETIN
This bulletin is published by the Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (FCCJ) and distributed to over 600 recipients among its members and related organizations.
FCCJ was established in April 1999 to promote trade and economic exchange between Japan and Finland and has today 67 corporate members, 16 individual and one special member.